Since I was a little kid I am always amazed about those sparkling lights up in the sky, I wonder what they are and is there any way to go there. I love astronomy but I don't have the equipment, since I live in the Philippines and having a telescope was a luxury for most of us which I and my family can't afford. I always dreamed of having one but that not what we needed for living. As time goes by, and now I’m 23 years old I am a stable job, I want to own one. Luckily my Aunt who lives in America sent me a Birthday present, a telescope!
Barska 40070

My first telescope was a table top BARSKA 40070 refractor telescope. It has 70mm aperture lens and a focal length of 400mm, it includes 2 eyepieces the K20mm and SR4mm, and also a 3X Barlow lens. This was my very first telescope. It took me an hour to assemble and I'm really excited.

At first I am having trouble using the telescope, since i don't know how to use it. I kept reading the manual and trying to figured out how to use it. This telescope had a sturdy table top tripod. Well, you need a table or something to place the telescope above the ground for easy viewing.
SR4mm and K20mm Eypiece

I live in an urban place which is not good for viewing deep sky or for astronomy, light pollution are heavy. My first attempt was to look at the moon. I am trying hard to focus onto the moon.  The focuser was properly which is really my fault. And when I finally get the moon center I was really amazed. I said to myself, I only this on the internet and on the book. Using the K20mm eyepiece i get a wide FOV of the moon, as expected from a 70mm aperture telescope, a small telescope. Even my mom and dad and my sister was happy seeing that event.
3x Barlow Lens

45degree Diagonal

IMO, this telescope is worth buying, it really meets your expectation, it’s cheap but the quality was good. Even when i get old I will never sold this scope to anyone. I will treasure it. The only drawback about his telescope is the table top tripod and the knob on the axis, it was made of plastic and there is a metal spring inside, there is no slow motion. You cannot view object within 90degrees angle and the diagonal was 45degree angle which is only good for terrestrial viewing and not astronomical viewing. And the 3X Barlow lens, I don't if this is useless or I only don't know how to use it, I tried using it once but I don't even see a thing, i tried focusing and aligning but nothing. Maybe it’s my fault or the Barlow really sucks. I found online that the SR4mm sucks but in my opinion, it’s worthy. With this small telescope I can see the Saturn ring at 4mm which is spectacular!!! I went online and bought a 90degree diagonal and 2 eyepieces.

I recommend this telescope! Worth buying!

If you have ever tried looking through a telescope without a telescope mount to steady your equipment, you understand the difficulty of focusing on a set object in the night skies.  Compound that problem with a heavenly body that is actually moving across the sky and you realize that it is almost impossible to track this object.  There is no doubt, stability of your telescope is key to enjoyable stargazing.

Purpose of a Telescope Mount

A telescope mount provides a stable platform for your telescope, whether it is a refracting telescope, reflecting telescope, Dobsonian telescope, or catadiotric telescope. A telescope mount will ensure that your viewing of a celestial body is not interrupted by unexpected movement. It also determines how you will position your body relative to the telescope to view the night’s sky, determining how comfortable you will be over any extended period of stargazing.

Types of Telescope Mounts


Altazimuth telescope mounts are generally used on a Dobsonian type telescope. These telescopes look like a large canister and are mounted on a chassis that provides limited mounting capabilities. With this type of mount, the telescope can be adjusted in up and down or left and right positions.  This range of movement in a telescope mount is generally fine for the beginner and intermediate astronomer.

Equatorial mounts are more advanced and allow for greater movement to coincide with the movement of planet Earth. As good as this sounds, there is a level of skill required by the user. The user will need to understand the planet movement and be required to make minor adjustments to the telescope mount. This type of mount is usually reserved for higher quality telescopes, so it is really geared for the intermediate to advanced astronomer. However, with a little experience and practice, the mount could be used by most stargazers.
EQ Mount

In this hi-tech era, computers have become an integral part of astronomy and are used to move and track heavenly bodies. Well, an advanced telescope mount, though expensive, is available that provides this kind of computer tracking and superior viewing options. This mount even facilitates the viewing through the computer monitor as well as the eyepiece, with a few clicks of your mouse moving the mount into position.

Choosing the Right Mount

In choosing the right mount, you must first determine what the intended use of the telescope is. Other considerations are the skill level and specific needs of the operator.  Determining the type of terrain the mount will be used on will dictate the stability requirements.  And, of course, your astronomy budget will play a major role in what type of telescope mount you will purchase.

Choose a mount that will allow for a comfortable body position for times of extended viewing. Nothing can ruin a stargazing experience faster than being required to contort your body in unnatural positions to get a satisfactory view of your desired object.

So, to choose the right telescope mount, take the time and effort to research the different brands of telescope mounts and the various quality levels available. Then, and only then, choose the one that best suits your needs and falls within your budget limits.  It can make the difference between a comfortable, enjoyable stargazing experience and a cramped, short-lived outing.


When we were children we were often taught that we could wish upon the first star that we saw in the evening sky. After that wish was made and if we believed hard enough our wish would come true. Eventually, our childhood fantasies gave way to fact as we became more educated. This education was accomplished through astronomy classes, space exploration and other educational means.

The word astronomy is comprised of two Greek words.  The Greek word astro means star shaped or star and pertains to outer space. The word onomy literally means the study of. Therefore, astronomy is the study of the stars.

One of the major tools that assists amateur and professional astronomers in understanding and respecting the galaxy is the astronomy telescope. When looking to purchase a good astronomy telescope there are a number of factors that you can keep in mind. First, of all consider some practical suggestions, remember it is about the diameter of the lens, and make sure your telescope has a solid stand.

Practical Suggestions

Before you purchase your astronomy telescope it is important to conduct your research. One way of conducting this research can be accomplished by accessing the Internet and learning more about telescopes. Some of the questions that you should endeavor to answer surround what features to look for in a telescope, approximate cost, recommended brands, etc.

Another practical suggestion, before you purchase your astronomy telescope, is to "test drive" a telescope. This can be accomplished by joining an astronomy club. Often these clubs will have a stargazing event which will allow you to peer through the telescopes owned by the various members.

Another way of conducting research, prior to purchasing an astronomy telescope, is to ask the members in the club as to what telescope they would recommend. The key is education. Listen for the features they recommend, brand names, the diameter of the lens, price, etc.

Also, you may come across a member of the club who is considering the purchase of a new telescope. If so, you may be able to purchase their used telescope.

Diameter Of The Lens

When considering the purchase of an astronomy telescope it is important to remember what is the key feature surrounding your purchase. That key feature should focus on the diameter of the lens of the telescope and not its advertised magnification.

This is because the diameter of the lens equates to the amount of light that can be received by the telescope. Therefore, the larger the diameter of the lens the more light that is captured. This in turn allows for the image that you are viewing to become more visible.

Solid Base

Another very important feature when considering the purchase of your astronomy telescope is to ensure that it has a solid base. Generally, these bases or mounts are tripods.

It is important that when the telescope is mounted on these bases that the telescope does not shake or move. Obviously, any movement by the telescope, when peering into space, will distort the image being viewed and provide a negative experience.

Telescopes act as windows to the universe. It is with the help of telescopes that we can study the solar system and view the conjunctions of stars. Not just that, the various planets, galaxies, satellites and asteroids that we get to see only in the books and magazines are made more familiar to us via the telescopes. They act as barrier- breaking instruments between the human beings and the outer space. The universe is no more a mystery to us that exists beyond our reach and we owe it all to the telescopes.

The modern day telescopes bring with them a wide array of accessories and it is with the aid of these accessories that it becomes much more easier to successfully put the telescopes into proper use. Let us see what are the important accessories that go well and are a “must-have” for most telescope users: -

Filters- These are very essential for telescope users because they reduce the glare on the eyepiece and scatter the light thereby making it less strenuous for us to view distant objects.

Eyepiece- this is a very important piece of equipment and its absence can render a telescope useless. Eyepieces come in a variety of sizes and if you add more than one eyepiece to your telescopes then you can have the pleasure of viewing even the tiniest and distant objects with clarity.

Mounts- Mounts are the stands for telescopes. It is a mount on which the telescope rests. Since a telescope wont function favorably in vibrations therefore you should ensure that it is placed on a stable mount.

Barlow lens- A Barlow lens helps in the magnification of telescopes. These lenses are available in different sizes and we must be careful in choosing the size that best fits the eyepiece.

There are two main types of telescopes, the refractor (Galileo) telescopes and the reflector (Newton) telescopes. The refractor telescope uses an objective lens that bends the light towards the eyepiece. While the reflector telescope uses a mirror, which collects the light and then directs it towards the eyepiece.

Though both the refractors as well as the reflector telescopes are easily available in the market we should take the following points into consideration before buying a telescope.

Do not get impressed by the magnification of the telescopes. This is because magnification alone is of no use if it just produces large but hazy images.

Aperture- This is the most important factor while deciding on a telescope. Aperture is the opening that collects light so its important to choose a telescope with a larger aperture that will ensure a clearer and a more detailed image quality.

Resolution- This enables the telescopes to produce a more detailed image. So always opt for a telescope, which has a higher resolution. Moreover since resolution is also determined by the aperture, therefore the larger the aperture the better the resolution.

Focal length- The distance between the optical center of the lens or the mirror and the optical center of the eyepiece is known as the focal length. The focal length is what determines the magnification in telescopes. Larger focal lengths imply more magnification.

If we are careful about remembering the above points then it wont take us long to choose a telescope the next time we want to buy one for ourselves.

About this blog

This blog is all about astronomy, some of the article i did not own but i want to share to people who are interested in astronomy and on the vastness of space.
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